It’s no surprise that Jamal Rule has impressed Nebraska fans, coaches, and plenty of onlookers outside the program. What has impressed offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen the most is how much more comfortable the true freshman has looked since he first arrived on campus.
“I remember when he first got here last January, he was a very nervous, anxious kid and settled in throughout the course of spring and started playing better,” Holgorsen said during his Tuesday press conference. “Then when he came back in the summer, he was back to being kind of a nervous, anxious kid.”
Holgorsen added that because he looked like a true freshman who was scared to be on campus and always walked around with wide eyes, the Nebraska coaches weren’t sure what they could get from Jamal Rule in 2026. And then Rule took the field in Week 1 and showed he could be an electric player.
Not only has he shown he's a good player, but despite looking like an RB1 in the Huskers’ game against North Dakota, Rule isn’t satisfied with the role he has now.
Jamal Rule's breakout could reshape Nebraska football's running back rotation
“He wants more. He wants more,” Holgorsen said.
More importantly, the OC hinted that Rule will get more. “He's just such a great kid, and he's a competitor and a really good player. Doesn't look like a freshman to me out there, so we won't treat him like one.”
That last part is the most interesting of Holgorsen's comments about Rule, especially as Nebraska continues to try to find the right combination of carries among the three backs who have the most playing time so far this year.
In Week 1, the playing time was split pretty evenly between Rule (31 snaps) and Mekhi Nelson (28 snaps). Isaiah Mozee looks cemented as the third running back, as he had 14 snaps against Ohio. In Week 2, Nelson had 22 snaps, Mozee had 20, and Rule played just 14 snaps. Of course, because the game was 35-0 at the half, Rule’s limited playing time was more about getting backups into the game than anything else. Even with that limited playing time, he had 8 carries for 88 yards and a touchdown.
This past weekend, the dynamic seemed to have changed. While Holgorsen pointed out that the Nebraska coaches will stop treating Rule like he’s a regular true freshman on Monday, the staff might have already taken action.
Against North Dakota, Rule had 31 snaps while Nelson and Mozee each had 16. Mozee’s action was again mostly when the starters were riding the pine, but he still showed he can stay sharp and be effective whenever he’s called.
Rule, meanwhile, had 15 carries for 119 yards and a touchdown. He also had his second straight game with a run of more than 50 yards. He also caught 2 passes for 35 yards, highlighted by a 33-yard reception that showed once again he can be a weapon out of the backfield in the passing game.
Holgorsen’s comments about not treating Jamal Rule like a freshman might not be immediately clear. One of the best things about having a three-headed monster in the backfield is that Nebraska can always go with the hot hand. However, when the Huskers need a big carry or a big catch on a screen or dump-off, the coaching staff won’t hesitate to call on No. 25.
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